Day 2 A Marathon Day in SoCal!
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Mike and Bone rose early and found out that they got a free Mexican breakfast and coffee for their stay!. Mike smartly got the breakfast burrito, Bonehead got a "Wonderbread" sandwich! Mike's was excellent, Bones' really sucked.
While chewing their breakfast, they jumped back on to the coast road in Torrey Pine, and started the trek north along the coast in to Encinitas officially starting the trip!
Encinitas is a cool little burg, that is a unique blend of old-world charm and millennial "culture."
Inciting Encitas
The Boys made good time running up the coast till they were diverted by one of the biggest military installations on the West Coast, Camp Pendleton!
Hu- Rah!! Camp Pendleton
Camp Pendleton is the Marine Corps' largest West Coast expeditionary training facility and encompasses more than 125,000 acres of Southern California terrain. Given to the Marines in the 1942, it is well known for producing some of the most hardened "leathernecks" in the Services. Mike and Bone gave the Marines a respectful salute as they had to jump off of the road and cruise on to I-5, around the base, passed Richard Nixon's old digs at San Clemente, and back onto Coast Highway, where it turns into the "official start of the Pacific Coast Highway, in Dana Point!
The Start of PCH in Dana Point!
The formal "start" of PCH is inextricably linked by the history of PCH both of which start in Dana Point! The history of PCH starts with the advent of the car culture in the early Twentieth Century, it became clear travelers would soon be looking for ways to make the trek from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back – something that took days in the pre-automobile era and was heavily dependent on weather and other seasonal factors.
In 1910, California passed a highway bond that would eventually solve this problem. Over the first half of the century, the roads that would become State Route 1 were built in fits and starts, with problems such as landslides in the north delaying construction. But the efforts continued and eventually State Route 1 was christened in 1939 during the Roosevelt administration.
Despite this long and complicated history, the efforts paid off, with what we now affectionately call the Pacific Coast Highway becoming a bucket list item for travelers the world over. Starting at Capistrano Beach in Dana Point, the Pacific Coast Highway snakes up the coast through Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Mike and Bone read about the history of the start of the obelisk of the start of PCH, and then headed into Dana Point!
Doin' Dana Point
The city was named after the headland of Dana Point, which was in turn named after Richard Henry Dana, Jr., author of Two Years Before the Mast, which included a description of the area. Dana described the locale, including neighboring San Juan Capistrano, as "the only romantic spot on the coast". Although Dana described the anchorage as poor, it is now a developed harbor and contains a replica of his ship, the Pilgrim. The Pilgrim was used as a classroom by the Ocean Institute, which is located at the harbor, until it sank in 2020. The Dana Point area is a designated California Historical Landmark, the Boy enjoyed the beautiful seascape of the landmark as they headed up north.
But first, the coffee that the Best Western Restaurant provided the Boys was mostly likely filtered with a used jock strap. They were in dire need of a proper cup of coffee, so when they saw a bucolic little stand on the right side of the road, they hadda pull over!
The Boys didn't know Beans about JC Beans !!
Mike got hammered! and Bone had a Cheesegasm!
JC Beans is a very eclectic coffeehouse that roasts and grinds their own beans, as well as bakes their own treats. Mike got hisself a hammerhead, which is a large (22 oz) coffee with two shots of espresso! Bone did get a normal coffee and also a cheese Danish, right out of the oven! So as the Boys headed north, Mike had a coffee buzz going and Bone was moaning over a pastry! Truly, a Mike and Bone moment!!
Up the Coast!
Huntington Beach was a Marathon to get through !
The Boys made great time up past Laguna, into Crystal Cove only to grind to a halt in Huntington Beach. The lovely picture above of the start of the Huntington Beach Marathon is unfortunately ON Pacific Coast Highway! Mike and Bone ground to a halt, and sadly discovered that the dufus police department had no detour set up. After 45 minutes of trying to drive around the race, the Boys happened on a police car. The "officers" where fairly disinterested in helping the Boys, after a few minutes they finally gave Mike and Bone fairly vague directions on how to circumvent the race. Apparently "Protect and Serve" was not their charter. Finally back on the road, Mike and Bone noticed that the neighborhoods were getting a little dingy, sure enough, they had crossed into LA County near the very backed up LA Terminal.
"Talkin' bout a mess!"
Seeing the Covid driven Supply Chain debacle at the Port of Los Angeles!
In 2021 the issues of Covid had driven a huge bottleneck in one of the busiest ports in the world. For weeks and weeks their were huge cargo carriers (the size of a city unto themselves!) parked all around the port of Los Angeles, waiting to be unloaded. It was almost as bad as the traffic in Huntington Beach!! Fortunately the Boys only saw the back up and continued to make good time into the City of Lost Angels.
Straight into Compton! (Sorta)
Crusin into some of the sketchier parts of LA, Mike and Bone drove through Inglewood (next door to Compton), the home of NWA and the LA Airport! Soon the "urban jungle" gave way to the beach scene of Redondo Beach!
Out of the mess and into LA!
Redondo Beach is one of three beach cities along the southern portion of Santa Monica Bay. It was originally part of the 1785 Rancho San Pedro Spanish land grant to Don Manuel Domínguez, a signer of the Californian Constitution. Driving through the beach town, Mike and Bone set their sights for lunch in the bohemian scene of Venice Beach!
Muscling Thorough Venice Beach!
Ahh, Venice Beach! It had been 34 years (1988) since Mike and Bone disgraced the Mecca of the muscle men and 60 hippies ! Quite frankly, it looked exactly the same, if not a little dingier! Venice of America was founded in 1905 as a beach resort town by tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney. Before 1900 Venice Beach was nothing but marshland. Abbot Kinney had the vision of turning the desolate marshland into a renaissance resort and amusement park. Kinney envisioned a resort town culturally reminiscent of Venice, Italy, complete with canals, gondolas, amusement piers, hotels and Venetian-styled structures. On July 4, 1905, Kinney hosted the grand opening of his resort town featuring yacht racing, swimming races in the lagoon, band concerts, fireworks at the 2,500 seat amphitheater, and of course the 16 miles of newly built canals. He even brought a dozen gondoliers from Europe to pole through his shiny new paradise. During World War II, Venice became a major draw for sailors and soldiers on weekend leave.
Life at Venice Beach did not return to normal until 1944, when the curfews were finally lifted. The City of Los Angeles had neglected Venice so long that by the 1950’s it had become known as the “Slum of the Sea.” With the exception of new police and fire stations in 1930, the city spent little on improvements after annexation. Cheap rents for run-down bungalow housing attracted predominantly European immigrants, young counterculture artists, poets, and writers. By the end of the 1950’s pawnshops and liquor stores had replaced the souvenir shops and bingo parlors that had attracted tourists to the area. Venice was in a severe state of decay and in need of redevelopment. In the early 1960’s the city instituted a policy of code enforcement, which required the upgrading of all buildings to the current building standards. The city made it impossible for owners to obtain loans, and eventually 550 buildings were demolished paving the way for new construction. Venice always attracted whatever the counterculture of the decade was, be it the 50’s Beat generation, the hippies of the 60’s or the New Agers of the 70’s and 80’s.
Despite the changes over the years, it still looked the same to Mike and Bone. One of the reasons for stopping was not a trip down memory lane, but lunch! At one of Jim Morrison's favorite hamburger joints, Hinano Cafe!
Eating Burgers in Memory of Jim!
The reason that Jim Morrison of the Doors loved Hinano Cafe, was their burgers! Hinando's Cafe which as been around since 1969, still has that "60's vibe" and was very busy with lots of masked patrons (inside the bar) which made Mike and Bone want to sit in the sunlight, looking at the beach for their burgers!
Mike and Bone with the Burger Meister!
The beer was cold, the service, friendly, the burgers, not so much. Quite honestly, pretty average at best. Regardless it was a fun stop and by coincidence, the cook was wearing a University of Michigan Ball cap, in preparation for the Big Game that evening with Washington! Getting a picture with their fellow Wolverine, the Boys sauntered off to check out the Beach!
"C'mon Bone! The Burgers Sucked!
With Covid the beach really was not that crowded as one would expect, while there were some beach volley ball going on, not the crowds that Mike and Bone had seen in the past.
A Selfie Bonehead
Covid or not, still a lot of Tourist Shopping!
After walking around for about 40 minutes, the Boys had checked the scene out and were ready for a hot time! As the Boys drove through LA the temperature soared into the 90's, with their windows down they were getting blasted by a dry, hot wind. Cali and the West Coast was in the middle of a epic drought. The further north they got, the more apparent it was. Heading up the coast, Mike wanted to check out the iconic little town of Topanga Canyon, Canyon of the Stars.
Trekking Through Topanga Canyon
windows down they were getting blasted by a dry, hot wind. Cali and the West Coast was in the middle of a epic drought. The further north they got, the more apparent it was. Heading up the coast, Mike wanted to check out the iconic little town of Topanga Canyon, Canyon of the Stars!
Trekking Through Topanga Canyon
In the 1920s, Topanga Canyon became a weekend getaway for Hollywood silent film stars. The rolling hills and ample vegetation provided both privacy and attractive surroundings for some of the famous. Actors currently or formerly residing in the Topanga area include: Lisa Bonet, Alex Borstein (Family Guy), Keith Carradine, Bob Denver (Gilligan!), Teri Garr, Dennis Hopper, Jason Momoa, Molly Ringwald, and many, many others. Driving through, Mike and Bone passed through amazingly beautiful canyons and hills (that were incredibly dry), and occasionally passing beautiful estates and funky, cool shops. There was another interesting fact the Boys learned, that as you move from the coast, the temperature rose to a toasty 98 degrees! After baking for about 20 minutes and headed back to PCH to attempt visit an iconic California site, the Getty Villa.
A Covid Defeat: Only Googling the Getty!
.Ah, the spoils of wealth! Mike and Bone’s next tour target was the Getty Villa which is in the eastern end of the Malibu coast in the Pacific Palisades. The Getty Villa is a museum focused on the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria. The collection has 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities dating from 6,500 BC to 400 AD, including the Lansdowne Heracles and the Victorious Youth. It has an interesting history, in 1954, oil tycoon J. Paul Getty opened a gallery adjacent to his home in Pacific Palisades. Quickly running out of room, he built a second museum, the Getty Villa, on the property down the hill from the original gallery. The villa design was inspired by the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum and incorporated additional details from several other ancient sites. It was designed by architects Robert E. Langdon, Jr., and Ernest C. Wilson, Jr., in consultation with archeologist Norman Neuerburg. It opened in 1974, but was never visited by Getty, who died in 1976. Following his death, the museum inherited $661 million, to ensure its continued operations. Unfortunately, the Getty Villa was a Covid victim, closed to the public because of the pandemic. So with heavy hearts, the Boys drove into Malibu!
Marveling at Malibu
There maybe no place that better represents the world's perception that Malibu. General Motors certainly took advantage of its iconic name with its Chevy product. Johnny Carson lived there along with many, many Hollywood stars. Malibu consists of 23 miles of beaches with Toney restaurants and resorts. Both Mike and Bone had been there before and were keen to check out one of the many, many beaches so avoided the town and hit the beach!
The Boys bumming around the Beach!
Mike and Bone having spent a large part of the day in the car (especially in Huntington Beach!), welcomed the opportunity to stretch their legs and wander the lovely late afternoon beach scene! The fresh, salt sea air brought the Boys back, and as it was late afternoon in California, it was Game time in Ann Arbor !! It was a Saturday Night main event, the Huskies of Washington vs. the Wolverines of Meeechigan! Finding a station in the car playing the Game, the Boys focus drifted from the very beautiful coastline to the gridiron! By now the Boys were close to Santa Barbara and looked for a Bar and Hotel nearby to get some Bar food and some sleep.
Browsing Santa Barbara
Unfortunately Santa Barbara was a little to chi-chi for Mike and Bone! First, the city looked like an antiseptic Birmingham, the cheapest hotel was $1,200 a night, and worst yet, all the Bars were ritzy bars, not one good sports bar! Fortunately, the Google saved the day, found a reasonable hotel 10 miles to the south of Santa Barbara in the cozy little town of
West Coast Good Time Charlies in Carpintera!
The Boys stayed at a very clean but modest Travel Lodge, just on the outskirts of Town. The very friendly and helpful Hotel employee gave Mike and Bone several great options to get something to eat and watch the second half! Heading into town, the Boys saw the game playing in a Pizzeria called Giovanni's, it was a done deal! Pizza, Beer, and Football, what is better!?!
The Boys killed Wings, Pizza, & Beer, The Wolverines killed Washington!
Once in Giovanni's, the owner was very cool. He let Mike and Bone move tables around so they could sit right under the TV, they turned up the sound for the Boys so they were all set for the second half. Not only did they have pizza and beer, they had chicken wings!
So Mike and Bone watched all blue Wolverine's absolutely pummel the Huskies. In a game that Washington was favored by 3, our very own Blake Corum sprinted for a 67-yard touchdown to give Michigan a double-digit lead in the second quarter, one play after Jim Harbaugh called for a fake punt that set the stage for Mike and Bone in the second half. The Wolverines were not moving the ball much and led just 3-0 early in the second quarter when Harbaugh made a gamble that paid off. With the punt team on the field facing a fourth-and-1 from the Michigan 30, a short snap went to Michael Barrett, and he ran 3 yards for a first down. “It was a huge momentum shift,” Washington coach Jimmy Lake said. “That’s the nature of college football, especially when you’re on the road in that hostile environment. Michigan relied on Corum and Haskins to pound the rock in a relentless run-oriented offense, along with swarming defense and special teams to take and keep control of the game for all 4 quarters.
Blake ran for 171 yards and three touchdowns, a week after he had 111 yards rushing and scored twice in the season-opening rout over Western Michigan.
Hassan had 155 yards rushing and a score for the Wolverines, whose passing game was limited without injured receiver Ronnie Bell.
With their performance, the Wolverines pulled away to beat Washington 31-10. Interestingly, Giles Jackson, the wide receiver who transferred from Michigan last spring, had three receptions for 49 yards and three carries for 9 yards. Each time Jackson touched the ball, our maize-clad fans in the Big House booed him!
Mike and Bone enjoyed the Game, the Beers, the wings, and the Pizza, was just ok. Didn't matter, it was a great time watch a great game! After the Game, Mike and Bone enjoyed one more cocktail then retired. It had been a long day from San Diego to Santa Barbara!